The Shop > Tools
My Cowells ME lathe
andyf:
Hi Chris,
Yes, the numbering was done by eye. The dial I mentioned earlier was re-engraved with 40 lines representing thousandths, and needed numbering 0, 10, 20, 30 against the four long "tens" lines. Once in the jig, I couldn't see those lines properly, so I used a felt-tip on the edge of the dial to help with alignment. The 0 was easy, but each double digit was done with fingers crossed that the two numbers e.g. "1" and "0" would be spaced nicely. I recall using a bit of carbon paper and finger pressure on the number punch to check; because of the curved surface, that only left a mark at the top and bottom of each digit, but it helped.
That dial was steel, but ally is easier to engrave and stamp.
Andy
raynerd:
Just a bit of a random post here but over the last month I've got right back into using the cowells and I now love it BUT the price of the attachments is getting me down. The milling attachment/vertical slide is £230!! For that sort of money, I could buy a full peatol/taig lathe assembled!
I'm considering selling and buying a peatol again but I don't know if I can bring myself to do it! 10 years ago I dreamed of owning a cowells lathe!
vtsteam:
Chris, are you interested in possibly making one? I did and it's not hard -- if you check out my Gingery lathe building thread, there's one detailed toward the end there. You wouldn't have to cast it if you don't do that stuff -- you could probably weld or braze up the basic parts from channel iron and some plate and just machine them. You basically need an upright that bolts to the carriage, and then bolt a ways on that that fits your top slide or a new one. All the machining can be done on a lathe, as I did, or of course a milling machine if you have one.
twizseven:
Chris,
I have a Cowells Me90 and am regularly checking Ebay for bits. There is milling slide and m/c vice on at the moment, item #141318094884. It has 3days 20hrs to go and is currently £31.
Best Regards,
Colin
ticker:
--- Quote from: twizseven on June 16, 2014, 04:32:52 PM ---Chris,
I have a Cowells Me90 and am regularly checking Ebay for bits. There is milling slide and m/c vice on at the moment, item #141318094884. It has 3days 20hrs to go and is currently £31.
Best Regards,
Colin
--- End quote ---
Out of interest I checked today to see how much the Cowells vertical slide and vice sold for, the final price was £175.05
Everything thats sold for these lathes always appears to fetch a good price
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